JCAC announces upcoming arts season

JCACBallroom with a Twist, a show inspired by reality television, will kick off the Performer Series: New Direction at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23 at the Jasper Arts Center.

From local sourcesJASPER — Jasper Community Arts has announced its schedule for the 2014-15 season.

Shows in four series — Performers: Traditional, Performers: New Directions, Backstage and Family Fun — will showcase 12 artists and be performed at the Jasper Arts Center from September through April.

Past series subscribers should renew tickets by July 25 for a same-seat guarantee. Subscribers who do not renew by the cutoff date will lose their seats. Subscribers who order either one or both Performers Series will get first-reserve seat choice.

New patrons may order series tickets through Friday, Aug. 22. Patrons may contact the box office now to be placed on the wait list. Orders are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Single tickets for all performances will go on sale after Aug. 22. Patrons do not need to buy an entire series to order tickets but it is recommended that tickets be purchased in advance because of past patron demand. Single tickets are also filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so those interested will be put on waiting lists for individual performances.

Tickets mey be purchased four ways:

• In person. Stop by the JCA office, at 951 College Ave., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on a weekday.

• By mail. Use the order form inside the season guide and mail it to the arts center office.

• By fax. Credit card orders using Visa and MasterCard are accepted at 634-6997.

• By phone. Call the box office at 482-3070 to place a credit card order or for additional information and a season guide.

Patrons have several packages from which to choose, which works out to savings of up to 30 percent over single ticket prices. Al four series, totaling 12 performances, is a Grand Package and costs $225 for adults, $210 seniors and $150 students and children. Tickets for all shows in any single series are available, and groups of 20 or more receive a 15 percent group discount. Single tickets are available in any combination.

Performers Series: Traditional The Performers Series:Traditional will feature three artists for the main stage performances. The events seek to appeal to a broad range of art lovers. The season opens with a show by the country rock group Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on Sept. 21 and is followed by Mark O’Connor and Friends: Appalachian Christmas on Dec. 19 and The Diamonds and The Official Glenn Miller Orchestra on March 20. Season tickets for this series are priced at $85 per person for adults, $77 for seniors and $68 for students and children.

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band7:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21Known as the catalyst for Country Rock and American Roots music, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band continues to add to their legendary status. Best known for such hits as “Mr. Bojangles,” “Will the Circle be Unbroken” and “Fishin’ in the Dark,” the band has been nominated for and won many Country Music Awards and Grammies. www.nittygritty.com

Mark O’Connor and Friends: Appalachian Christmas7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19Two-time Grammy winner Mark O’Connor was a child prodigy winning three national championships at age 13 in guitar, mandolin and fiddle. His musical genres range from classical to folk, jazz to bluegrass, pop to old time fiddle. O’Connor is equally known for his composing as he is for his performance. Accompanying O’Connor at this holiday show will be Cia Cherryholmes, Carrie Rodgriguez and Forrest O’Connor. www.markoconnor.com

The Diamonds with the Official Glenn Miller Orchestra: Jukebox Junction7:30 p.m. Friday, March 20Rock to this nostalgic performance by The Diamonds and The Glenn Miller Orchestra. Best known for their hits in the ’50s and ’60s, The Diamonds were frequent guests on American Bandstand where they performed some of their hits, including “Little Darlin’” and “Why Do Fools Fall In Love.” This show features four decades of America’s favorite music — from big band hits to doo-wop and rock and roll classics. www.thediamonds.cc/

Performers Series: New DirectionsThe Performers Series: New Directions will feature three artists for main stage performances. In this newest series, designed for the young and young at heart, events may be a little different and off-beat. The season opens with a show based on the hit dance craze, Ballroom with a Twist on Nov. 23 and is followed by The 3 Painters on Jan. 24 and Joshua Kane: Borders of the Mind on Feb. 28. Season tickets for this series are priced at $85 per person for adults, $77 for seniors and $68 for students and children.

Ballroom with a Twist7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23Can’t get your fill of “Dancing with the Stars,” “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance?” This evening of singing and dancing comes straight from reality TV. Ballroom With A Twist brings a frenzy of sizzling dance moves by professional international dancers spanning the hot moves of samba, waltz, foxtrot, quickstep and jive. In addition,the show features favorite contestants from “American Idol.” http://scottstander.com/

The 3 Painters7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24The 3 Painters cast is a combination of virtuoso artists and vocalist/entertainers at the cutting edge of their arts. The artists who will create larger-than-life portraits of some of America’s icons choreographed and accompanied by outstanding vocalists. Will it be Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, John Lennon or Lady Liberty? Each larger-than-life painting is created in less than seven minutes. http://www.3painters.com/

Joshua Kane: Borders of the Mind7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28Joshua Kane leads audiences through a dazzling demonstration of the powers of the mind. Like Professor X of legend, Kane identifies those in the audience who will successfully project their own thoughts and tap the powers of their intuition. During the interactive performance, the entire audience experiences simultaneous telepathy and witnesses feats of lie detection and what must be psychic phenomena. http://www.joshuakane.com/index.html

Backstage SeriesThe Backstage Series, comprised of three events, features an intimate seating arrangement with audience members most often on stage with the artist for a house concert feel. The season opener will be classical musician, Eric Himy: Gershwin in Paris on Oct. 18, followed by some of country music’s top songwriters in Nashville Backstage Pass on Jan. 17 and a comedic dancing sketch in the form of Trick Boxing on Feb. 21. Series subscription prices are $55 for adults, $50 for seniors and $36 for students and children.

Eric Himy: Gershwin in Paris7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18Eric Himy explores Gershwin’s music and its relationship to other classical composers. Part conversation and part concert, Himy weaves together stories, anecdotes and music into a performance that has left audiences raving. The world-renown pianist has been described as a keyboard poet. Himy is one of the most highly regarded Gershwin and French music interpreters performing today. www.erichimy.com

Nashville Backstage Pass7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17Meet the people behind the stars and hear the stories behind the songs. This performance will feature some of the top song writers of Nashville who have written hits for the likes of George Strait, Faith Hill, the Dixie Chicks, Bonnie Raitt and Shania Twain. www.sweetwoodproductions.com

Trick Boxing7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21Trick Boxing combines dancing, drama and boxing into one lively performance, using physical comedy told through rapid-fire dialogue, high-energy dance numbers, puppetry, true love and, of course, boxing. Dancing Danny, the reluctant boxer, meets the dancer Bella who teaches him a few moves, both in and out of the ring. www.sossymechanics.com

JCACThe Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley launches the Family Fun Series at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 15.

Family Fun SeriesThe Family Fun Series is a three-event series that features rollicking family entertainment for the young and young at heart. The first program will feature The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley on Nov. 15, followed by Tomas Kubinek: Certified Lunatic and Master of the Impossible on Jan. 31 and a family-friendly production of Fred Garbo’s Inflatable Theater on April 11. To ensure participation by the entire family, series tickets for all three events are priced at $40 for adults and seniors and and $20 for children 18 and younger.

The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley3:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15Based on the pop-cultural phenomenon Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown, this musical play features Stanley Lambchop who is just like everyone else until a special wish on a falling star makes him wake up very flat. Flat enough to be sent through the mail. Thus begins his new life and unexpected quest to see the world. Brought to you by Dallas Children’s Theatre, this engagement is supported by the Arts Midwest Touring Fund, a program of Arts Midwest, which is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Arts with additional contributions by the Indiana Arts Commission. www.holdenarts.org

Tomas Kubinek: Certified Lunatic and Master of the Impossible3:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31The one and only Dr. Professor Tomas Kubinek is a comic genius, virtuoso vaudevillian and all-round charmer who gives audiences an experience they’ll remember for a lifetime. With appearances in more than 30 countries and a career spanning three decades, Kubinek’s performance transcends categorization; his work leaves audiences clutching their sides with laughter. www.kubinek.com

Fred Garbo’s Inflatable Theater3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 11Gigantic inflatables spring to life in the wonder-filled world of pneumatic wizard Fred Garbo and Brazilian Ballerina Daielma Santos. The duo inspires with whimsical inventions and artistic foolishness. www.fredgarbo.com